Yankees do right by injured fan favorite with 2026 contract agreement

When the New York Yankees lost Oswaldo Cabrera last summer, they lost a sliver of their soul. Cabrera is a less-than-ideal starter, but a trustworthy stopgap and a perfect sparkplug. His devastating injury, on a freak play and typical slide in Seattle, not only removed him from the roster equation, but dimmed his light.

He fought valiantly against that reality, sure, showing up to the ballpark and smiling as soon as he was physically able. Still, he was the one rallying the troops so many times before. When it came time for the team to rally around him, they were missing the cheery face in the middle of the mob who could tell them everything would be alright and really mean it. They were also missing Cabrera's infield versatility and sneaky pop. They walked with their heads a bit lower as the summer swoon commenced.

Several Friday night cost-cutting measures seem likely to be on the table for Brian Cashman's Yankees, but by far the most heartless possibility was non-tendering Cabrera, saving a projected million dollars while sending a portion of the fanbase into their bag of feelings.

Thankfully, the Yankees did right by Cabrera as his return to full health looms, agreeing to a $1.2 million contract and avoiding a difficult divorce/protracted arbitration fight. Imagine that happening? The Yankees using Cabrera's own injury against him in court?

The New York Yankees are bringing back bench player Oswaldo Cabrera on the cheap

It'll be nice to be able to talk about Cabrera's potential on-field impact again rather than the gaping hole he left in the locker room, huh?

Last season, he was particularly valuable in limited duty against lefties, hitting .316 with four strikeouts in just 21 plate appearances. Perhaps there's room for him to audition to be a platoon complement to Ryan McMahon? He's serviceable enough defensively that, while there'll be a natural downgrade, it won't be egregious.

The rest of the Yankees' bench still needs an infusion of upside — Amed Rosario, please come home — but, for now, Cabrera brings a friendly face back into the fold at a reasonable price. And he might even hit, too.